Confused: multiple symptoms

About one week ago, I noticed somewhere between 8 to 20 red spots randomly located around the entire circumferance of my penis, most of them located in the ring of skin that exists under the head of a circumcised penis. Most seemed to be flat with maybe only a couple being raised only a little. The next day, I noticed similar spots forming in my pubic hair near the base of my penis. These bumps didn't itch and were not painful to touch, though I would sometimes feel a slight sensation if my penis touched clothing. After a few days, the bumps hadn't changed at all, though I noticed at times they seemed to be red and, at other times, they seemed to light pink/closer to natural skin color. On the evening of the third day, I decided to wipe down the spots with a kind of disinfectant that would usually be applied to a wound before a bandage in order to prevent infection. I'm living in Japan and can't read the label, so I don't know anymore about what it is called or anything like that. Whatever it was, it seemed to have a strong effect on the spots/bumps. The next morning, a flakes of dry skin came off a couple of them, revealing new skin underneath, and the rest seemed smaller or lighter in color.

After a week, I only have three visible spots/marks remaining on the top part of my penis in the same general area (spots that I think developed after the intial outbreak), though a number of the bumps around my pubic area still remain. This morning, I noticed bright red irritation on the top part of my urethra. I have urinated several times since noticing the redness/irritation and felt a little pain only one of those times. Also, today, I am feeling a little ill, somewhere between a typical cold and the flu. I have the shakes a little bit and threw up water this morning, yet I felt good enough to go to work today. I seemed to have a slight cough before today, so maybe it is just a cold. Not sure.

I don't know if these problems are related or not. The spots in and around my pubic hair seem like folliculitis since they are clearly based at the roots of pubic hairs. However, I have no idea whether or not that problem can also exist closer to the head of the penis where hair doesn't actually grow. Can it? If not, what could those spots/bumps be?

At first, I was convinced that it was herpes-1, because it occurred six days after I received unprotected oral sex. I didn't see an open sore on her lips at the time, but I noticed a week later when I met her again that she was using chapstick, so I can't be sure that she didn't have a sore.

I'm confused, because it doesn't seem like herpes based on what I've read. Going way back, I guess I could add that, when I came here a year ago, i developed what was probably jock itch on the insides of my legs, near the groin area. It went away in autumn but left a strange but mild odor. Also, I sometimes have dry/red skin on scrotum. I don't know if that is relevant or not. Mostly worried about the skin problem on penis

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

If you caught herpes six days before symptoms, you'd have high fever and swollen glands.  Also, the rash and other symptoms sound nothing like herpes.  My advice is to leave the area alone beyond gentle cleansing and application of moisturizing lotion.  And please--no disinfectant!

If the rash persists, you'll need to see a doctor, but this sounds like an annoyance (or a couple of annoyances), not an STD.

Since you're so anxious, you may want to avoid unprotected sex.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff